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Lee Jae-myung pledges to 'make Sejong the de facto administrative capital,' reigniting debate

Published: 17 Apr. 2025, 22:14 Updated: 18 Apr. 2025, 13:32

Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party candidate in the presidential primary, speaks during an on-site discussion at the Agency for Defense Development in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on April 17. [YONHAP]

Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party (DP) candidate in the presidential primary, reignited the debate over relocating the capital on Thursday, resolving to transform Sejong into Korea’s full-fledged administrative center.

“I will make Sejong the de facto administrative capital and Daejeon a global science capital,” Lee wrote on Facebook the same day. “I will also push for the complete relocation of the National Assembly and presidential office to Sejong through social consensus.”

He further pledged to complete the construction of both the Sejong branch of the National Assembly and the new presidential office within his five-year term — and to resume the relocation of public institutions, a process that was halted in 2019. The statement comes as part of a broader policy pitch aimed at voters in the Daejeon and Chungcheong regions, where Democratic primary voting runs from April 16 to 19.

Lee’s proposal ties into a broader vision for a high-tech industrial belt connecting four cities and provinces: Daejeon for AI and aerospace; Sejong for smart administration; North Chungcheong for bio business, semiconductors and batteries; and South Chungcheong for display technologies.

The location of the presidential office has become a sensitive political issue since the controversial move of the office from the Blue House to Yongsan District, central Seoul, during the beginning of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration — a decision some have connected to political unrest, including the martial law declaration on Dec. 3 of last year.

Lee's proposal appears to outline a step-by-step, sequential relocation: temporary use of the Yongsan office, a possible return to the Blue House, construction of a new Sejong office and the ultimate full relocation of the presidential office to Sejong.

Park Soo-hyun, a spokesperson for Lee’s campaign, said the plan would “allow for the simultaneous development of Seoul and the Chungcheong region by converting areas in Seoul like Yeouido and Yongsan into financial hubs.”

Kim Dong-yeon, a Democratic Party candidate in the presidential primary, receives flowers to lay at the April 19 Revolution Memorial in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, on April 17. [NEWS1]

However, the full relocation of the presidential office and National Assembly would require a constitutional amendment. In a landmark 2004 ruling, the Constitutional Court struck down a similar plan under the former Roh Moo-hyun administration, citing the “customary constitution” that designates Seoul as the capital.

People Power Party candidate Na Kyung-won responded on Thursday that she was “open” to relocating the capital but emphasized that “relocating the presidential office clearly requires a constitutional amendment.”

Kang Hoon-sik, a strategist for Lee’s campaign, acknowledged the legal challenges, stating that Lee would be able to present a clearer position during public debates and discussions.

Lee also visited the Agency for Defense Development in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on Thursday. During a meeting there, he questioned the efficiency of Korea’s current conscription system.

“Is it really efficient to confine hundreds of thousands of young people in the military?” he asked, suggesting some conscripts could instead serve as noncommissioned officers, specializing in weapons systems operations and development.

He advocated for a hybrid model of a “selective volunteer military system” that combines elements of both conscription and voluntary military system.

Fellow DP candidate Kim Dong-yeon, who had visited his hometown Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, on Wednesday, remained in the region for a second day, paying tribute at a memorial for the April Revolution of 1960 and meeting with regional party members and small business owners.

Kim proposed relocating the executive and legislative branches to Sejong and moving judicial institutions like the Supreme Court and Supreme Prosecutors' Office to Cheongju, North Chungcheong. His campaign also unveiled three policies oriented toward young people: transitioning to a volunteer military system, sabbatical leave for irregular workers and a deferred tuition payment system.

Kim Kyoung-soo, a Democratic Party candidate in the presidential primary, holds a meeting with Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, mayor of Malmo, Sweden, in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on April 17. The two discussed “people-centered sustainable development.” [YONHAP]

Candidate Kim Kyoung-soo met with Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, mayor of Malmo, Sweden, who is visiting the country in Goyang, Gyeonggi, to discuss governmental roles in carbon reduction. Malmo is known for its postindustrial transformation into a green economy based on renewable energy.

“Climate policy is fundamentally about industry and economy,” Kim said, criticizing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration for reversing the Moon Jae-in administration’s energy transition plans.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KANG BO-HYUN [[email protected]]